Gambling Addiction & Recovery Support Group

Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. A preferred term among many professionals is problem gambling, as few people described by the term experience true compulsions in the clinical sense of the word. Problem gambling often is defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others rather...

I need help

I am really in trouble. I seem to be unable to stop playing online poker. I have lost almost all of my savings and I am very close to losing my family. I have mounting debts and I am depressed and my self esteem is about zero. I ask for any advice you might have. I am really at an all time low.

It's never too late to STOP gambling.
I just checked your online history on this site and you have been here since May 2008. I am guessing that it did not work for you earlier when you try to quit. For financial advice, it is suggested that you don't file a bankruptcy until you can get this addiction totally in control, otherwise the same problem will appear over and over again.

To realize that we are hitting the rock bottom is one thing to make us realize how serious the situation we are in. Believe me if you can STOP now, your life will be much better in 3 months and the longer you stay out of gambling the better for your future.

Idea one: Do an uninstall of all of the online poker applications you have downloaded. Have an administrator account be set up on your computer... with a password that you do not know. This will prevent you from being able to download any of those web-based poker applications (this will also prevent you from downloading anything else you may purchase in the future, e.g., MS Office 2007, etc.) [So whoever does this, needs to be a person that will work with you to download necessary future software (that is not poker related!).]

Idea two: Try this for one week... leave your house with the clothes on your back... take a sleeping bag if you want, walk deep into the woods, and stay there for one week. If you get hungry, make a sign from discarded cardboard saying &quot;will work for poker, or food, or your stranded...&quot; (you get the idea), slip out of the woods and stand on the side of the road to bumb change. Question at this point, would you use the change to go online and gamble? would you get something to eat? would you buy some toilet paper to take back with you into the woods? After a week of enduring this, you will have experienced what it will be like to loose everying (your money, your family, your home, etc.)... then ask yourself is that how you really want to live? And after that, what is really important and worth investing your time, energy, and effort into?

You can do this, just for today (and tomorrow, just for today...) no bet is worth your family, your home, your nutrition. Your are a young guy!!!! Live life.

This site is great, people here are super... they care... hope to hear more from you!!!!!! Happy 2009!!! I know it can turn around for you... if you want it to. I wish you the best. deb

Have you tried gamblock? I understand it blocks all gambling websites and has been invaluable to some with online issues. Giving up all credit cards and access to them for a time may also help. Without money....no gambling. I know how hard it is, and there is no accounting for why some can quit easily and others it takes much longer, and more setbacks. All I can say is don't give up on recovery.

Not to sound to negative but since I have given my money to my wife to put in her account I was wondering if anyone had any experience of how I can protect that money in the event of a divorce. Should I have her open a seperate joint account?

The only times &quot;I&quot; stopped were the times I had no more money. It was the only time I had a period of 'OH MY&quot;..What have &quot;I&quot; done..?
''those were the times I sought help.. in those times 'denial kept getting the boot.. To further my time away from the 'bet''I&quot; had to come clean to my spouse 'which was my first 'Roadblock back to Gambling.'' It is not a 'glamorous thing to do ,, but was my first 'true 'honest way of trying to help myself ..
Denial is pain.. Pain is 'the Truth..Without 'Pain there is no Truth ..
Heck if we all suffered no Consequences we'd still be out there gambling our 'wee brains out.. lol....
Be well sanr..

The site looks great. Call the number and talk with those on the hotline (all is very confidential).

Most likely they can guide you with sound advise on what you are asking.

Trust has been erroded between you and your wife. I can understand your having difficulty with trusting a person. But as with any erosion the ground has to be rebuilt and many times the foundation relayed and a house rebuilt - all which takes time.

With the two of you working together and you following necessary steps in your recovery it very well could be a much better house.

If you take care of the gambling problem, you won't have to worry about the money in your wifes account in the event of a divorce. I feel quite confident that once you start to control your addiction, you will see great benefits in your personal life. Don't gamble today, do it for your wife and son.

'With all money being in 'Wife's Name. That stops you from accessing ''YOUR MONIES..
'INteresting how 'the cg mind works.. lol
'Sorry I chuckled with this when &quot;I read it '.
'Now you are thinking ? what if 'Divorce happens.? Are you protecting the ''monies or a way back to gambling ? in the event of Divorce.?
'I think 'this..: when I was in the gambling cycle ......it was about ''ME''.
'When I stopped gambling and gave over access it was about ''US''.
It is still 'US Today.
'Bulding Trust- takes trust. And for me , I could not trust 'ME'..So 'I gave over..
and I agree with Hawai Jay.. the benefits will prove themselves by this..
Be well sanr.

A friend sent this to me..As far as I can see, grief will never truly end.It may become softer overtime, more gentleand some days will feel sharp.But grief will last as long as Love does - ForeverIt's simply the way the absence of your loved onemanifests in your heart. A deep longing accompaniedby the deepest Love some days. The heavy fog mayreturn and the next day, it may recede.Once again, it's...

Today is my 25th birthday, to my somewhat lack of surprise I can see already no one really seems to care. I've always been the kinda person to make sure that everyone I Care about feels appreciated and knew somebody had their back. I can count 4 times this year when I Went out of my way to make sure a "friend" felt good on their birthday, especially if they got left hanging. Its early in the...

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